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Old 03-13-2014, 08:28 PM   #21
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My achin' head...do you folks have any idea how much you sound like all the guys over in The Big Boys Towing Forums like RV.net? "Bigger is better", no matter how you cut it.

Can't wait for the Fordvs.Dodgevs.Chevy controversy to start ragin' over here in the erstwhile "we tow small" capital of the Virtual RVers World!

..................<-<-Francesca
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Old 03-13-2014, 08:34 PM   #22
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Ask the dealer what the skid plates are made of and how they are attached.
My buddy discovered the "skid plate" on his Hyundai was made of plastic when he broke it on a snow bank...
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Old 03-14-2014, 12:45 AM   #23
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Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles View Post
My achin' head...do you folks have any idea how much you sound like all the guys over in The Big Boys Towing Forums like RV.net? "Bigger is better", no matter how you cut it.

<-<-Francesca

Mileage aside, pretty much. Nobody said it was necessary, opinions were asked and given.
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Old 03-14-2014, 09:30 AM   #24
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Originally Posted by Mike Magee View Post
Right, I really think the V8 towing would be the same or maybe 1 mpg less, vs the V6 in the same Jeep. Not much difference. But the longevity of the stronger engine and beefier transmission should be greater, which benefits the person who likes to hold a vehicle for many years.
Mike you may be correct on the towing MPG between the two engines but I'm not so sure on your longevity assumptions. The 3.6L Pentastar V6 is top rated engine and at 285 HP it has a higher HP rating than the previous V8's.

If all I was going to be doing with the vehicle is towing, and towing hard, then the V8 would be my choice. Since that is not the case, the Pentastar V6 was the better option for us and with the way I actually use the vehicle I would expect it to outlive the V8 with better mileage throughout it's life. Time will tell.

By the way, I was making the same decision as you a year ago and decided on the 2011 Dodge Durango Crew with the Pentastar V6. My nephew is a mechanic and he highly recommended this engine. We've been very happy with it so far. We drove and liked the Jeep as well but wanted more cargo area.

Good luck on your decision.

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Old 03-14-2014, 10:34 AM   #25
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I like the idea of all the skid plates with either off road package. After having a vehicle with none at all, I see what they will prevent..
Just make sure you take a look at the payload rating on the model with the skid plates vs the ones without.... you *may* find there is a drop in payload rating on the one with skid plates which depending on the number of passengers you plan to carry, cargo and trailer tongue weight it may or may not be an issue for you.
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Old 03-14-2014, 03:01 PM   #26
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Randy P.-

How big and how much does your Jayco weigh? I am assuming that's what you are pulling with your Durango.

If the Jayco is at least the weight of the Casita 17, you are the kind of person I was expecting to hear from. You have the V6. Is that exactly the same engine?

I just got my used Casita last fall and the only people I have seen around here with a trailer like mine are pulling them with big pickups. Maybe you don't need that, but that's been what I have seen. I don't think a medium sized SUV is out of line for this trailer. Besides, I like the vehicle. I think they use the same 5.7L HEMI in the Ram 1500 pickups.
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Old 03-14-2014, 06:10 PM   #27
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Tim,

I've never actually pulled the Jayco with the Durango as I just got it last November. We purchased it in order to tow a 17' Casita Spirit Deluxe that we will be picking up next month.

Our Durango has the factory tow package and is rated for 6400 pounds so I'm confident it will be up to the task. This has been the experience of other owners who post on the Dodge forums as well.

Now if I were planning on doing a lot of towing in the mountains, or heavier loads, I would opt for the V8 as I believe the additional torque would be helpful but for our Casita and our intended use, I think it will work well.

The Dodge and Jeep have a similar lineage so I assume the engines are the same or nearly so. I was surprised at the performance they're getting out of the newer generation V6s and just wanted to provide that perspective for your consideration.

Of course there are other reasons to get the V8 so if those suit your circumstances better, by all means go with what you think best and enjoy!
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Old 03-14-2014, 10:46 PM   #28
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Tim, check the tire sizes that come with the 18s and the 20s. I am not positive but I am pretty sure I read that the overall circumferences are pretty close... meaning that the 20s are lower profile tires than the 18s. This would mean that the 20s (standard ones at least) would not give extra clearance.

The off road packages substitute 18s for the 20s. The reasoning seems to be that the higher profile 18s have more sidewall to flex and can better handle the off road stuff without being punctured. They say it's good to air down a little for off road, too, and low profile tires can't take that. I guess you could always replace them with larger circumference tires at some point, though, and gain some clearance. 8.5" with skid plates is already pretty good.

(edit): I found it.
265/50R20 tires = 95.6" circumference
265/60R18 tires = 95.8" circumference
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Old 03-15-2014, 07:25 AM   #29
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Mike,

Thanks for the info on the wheels. I had that question pop into my head yesterday. You just saved me a bunch more money since I won't be needing or wanting the 20's.
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Old 03-15-2014, 08:45 AM   #30
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You're welcome. I've been on the Jeep Garage forum for the last 3 months, and picked up a tidbit or two.
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Old 03-15-2014, 07:01 PM   #31
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Jeep GC V8 vs. V6

I have a 2014 JGC 4WD Limited V6 gas. Got it last July 5 and now have 17000 miles +, about 6000 miles towing a 2850# Lil Snoozy.

I've not been out west yet but pulling through middle Tennessee was effortless. I thought long and hard about the V6 vs V8 and even waiting for the diesel. Picked the V6 and am very glad. Of course it's $2000 cheaper and I think mtce is cheaper as well, 6 spark plugs vs 16, 87 octane recommended vs 89.

I'm old so drive conservatively, posted limit + 5 not towing -5 when towing. Mileage is great for a big heavy 4WD vehicle. We get 16 or 17 towing and 23-25 not towing. I drove back and forth across Florida last weekend on straight level two lane roads averaging about 60 mph, got 27.4 mpg over 300 miles.

The load leveling rear suspension is a nice feature of the tow package. The vehicle sags when you hook up but the shocks pump themselves up over the first two miles of towing.

If you don't know, you can join one of Chrysler's "affiliated" organizations, like tread lightly or the access fund ($35) and then walk in the the dealer and get invoice less 1%, no haggling.

I love the vehicle. If only I hadn't left the window down at Fort Desoto Park and had a raccoon eat the front armrest
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Old 03-15-2014, 07:46 PM   #32
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Jeep GC V8 vs. V6

Quote:
Originally Posted by mcdenny View Post
i have a 2014 jgc 4wd limited v6 gas.

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Old 03-15-2014, 08:19 PM   #33
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McDenny,

I think you posted earlier in a thread you created. I read that info. and hung on every word since you were more similar to my situation. I think the Snoozy trailer alone is at least 500 pounds lighter than what I am looking to pull. I want to be able to throw a canoe or Outcast pontoon fishing boat on the roof too. Potentially add two more adults (another 400+ pounds) and mountains to the equation and the V8 seems like a good idea to me. I appreciate the V6 though. Understanding the newer V6 is more powerful than my old '96, I would NEVER expect to pull the Casita in mountains like I intend to with the old Cherokee. I really wish there was more difference so the choice was more obvious. I've always believed simpler is better when simple works.

Thanks for all the input. You've fed and helped resolve some of my insecurity. It's nice to be able to talk about a big purchase like this BEFORE hand. It's always a bummer when someone isn't happy after they've bought an expensive (they all are no matter what size you get) vehicle.
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Old 03-15-2014, 09:57 PM   #34
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Denny, darn those pesky bandits! Cute, but far from harmless. Thank goodness he couldn't get into your trailer and make a mess of it. That is really good fuel economy towing the Snoozy. Best I could get towing my Hauley (totally empty shell!) was 14.5 mpg from SC to OK. That Jeep drive train sounds great.

Can you think of any steep grades you drove up (where signage told what % the grade was), that you took note of your traveling speed and engine rpm? I believe there is a 4 mile stretch of 5%-6% grade on I-75 right near the KY-TN state line; that would have been a nice test. Or maybe the climb just south of the Ohio River at Covington KY, which I believe is a 5% grade. Any recollections?
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Old 03-16-2014, 05:51 AM   #35
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Denny, darn those pesky bandits! Cute, but far from harmless. Thank goodness he couldn't get into your trailer and make a mess of it. That is really good fuel economy towing the Snoozy. Best I could get towing my Hauley (totally empty shell!) was 14.5 mpg from SC to OK. That Jeep drive train sounds great.

Can you think of any steep grades you drove up (where signage told what % the grade was), that you took note of your traveling speed and engine rpm? I believe there is a 4 mile stretch of 5%-6% grade on I-75 right near the KY-TN state line; that would have been a nice test. Or maybe the climb just south of the Ohio River at Covington KY, which I believe is a 5% grade. Any recollections?

We always go through Cincinnati but I don't remember anything special about going up out of the river valley in Ky so I guess that means no issues. Usually lots of slow semis there. I'm sure we were ably to comfortably maintain 50-60 mph and pass the semis.

I've never been anywhere I did not have enough power to go as fast as I wanted.

The 8 spd trans is quite different from any other I've had. It downshifts when needed and will stay in the lower gear for a while, even if you lift off the gas. There is no more tow/haul button but the trans seems to know when I'm towing and shifts appropriately. Also, there are three shift programs, Eco, drive and sport. They are very different from one another and gives the vehicle a noticeably different feel. Also the manual shift paddles will hold it in the gear you choose until you are going so slow the engine really bogs down. I usually leave it in seventh towing on the freeway at 65 mph. IIRC, that's about 2000 rpm.
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Old 03-16-2014, 08:02 AM   #36
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Denny, that's very interesting. So are you saying that when you use the paddles to put it in 7th and you climb a decent hill, it tends to stay in 7th (not downshift on its own)?

I know from test driving that when coming to a stop sign it will downshift by itself, and then one must upshift all the way through the gears with the paddle (or else take it out of that mode). I assumed the tranny would sense the strain of hill climbing and downshift of its own accord to 6th or 5th, and then the user would have to consciously upshift on the downhill side. If it is holding 7th for you all the time... and still has enough oomph... that sounds mighty convenient. And quiet!
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Old 03-16-2014, 08:11 AM   #37
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Jeep GC V8 vs. V6

The manually selected gear is held until the engine revs drop to below (about) 1000 rpm. In 7 or 8 it has so little acceleration ability that when you step on the gas it feels like nothing happens. I use this feature if it is windy as the varying head wind will cause the grand to downshift occasionally.

Going up any kind of a hill in seventh, if you floor the gas it stays in 7 and just slows down. It works exactly like a manual shift with the exception of not stalling the engine if you let the revs drop too low.

I want to emphasize this is a much different (and much better, IMHO) trans that any other I have owned. It really is "smart" the way it holds gears even if you let up on the gas a bit. For instance it won't up shift going around a corner. It holds gears much longer when towing.

Powertrain is warranted for 5 yr 100,000 miles.
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Old 03-16-2014, 01:00 PM   #38
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Denny, thanks for that info.

Hemi HP at 3200 rpm appears to be about the same as Pentastar HP at 4700 rpm. And of course the Hemi is generating over 40% more torque at the same time. I think the Hemi-equipped Jeep will be like a billy goat in the Rocky Mountains.
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Old 03-16-2014, 03:24 PM   #39
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Denny,

I'm impressed with your gas mileage. I was just looking at the weights on these trailers. You say your Snoozy weighs 2850 pounds. I found a few weights for the Casita 17 and one says he weighs 2850 pounds also ready to go with grey and black tanks empty. I'm pretty sure I shouldn't go much over 3000 pounds with all the extra junk (Honda generator) and stuff I might have. I guess the V6 is still in the running, but I am giving the V8 first choice right now. I still have about 30 days before I will be buying.

Mike,

So, are you planning to get the V8 or the V6? Maybe you answered this already.
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Old 03-16-2014, 04:42 PM   #40
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Tim, I have to say that I'm 90% sure I will order one with a Hemi.
Of the remaining choices, 7% chance of diesel
and 3% for Pentastar.

But then, I am towing a stickie, which makes about a 15% difference in fuel economy... so I'd surmise that it may be 15% worse aerodynamically than a Casita or a Snoozy (which should be about the same in that regard).

Out west there are grades that go on for 5, 10, or more miles. Like Vail Pass, peaking at 10,600 feet (thin air for a non-turbo engine). I want to be able to sail over those passes with a minimum of rpm noise or heat buildup.

I finish work for the season (school year) in late May. I intend to place an order around May5-10. Put the Highlander up for sale by Memorial Day. I would prefer to have some down payment money from that sale before the Jeep comes in (likely 6-8 weeks after order).

The ones on the dealer lots with Hemi and tow package tend to be heavily equipped with stuff I don't want. For me, ordering one the way I like it seems best.

In the real world trailer weights thread, 17' Casitas range from 2700 lbs to 3900 lbs.
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